One Little Mistake
by What About Scout
Summary: Piper is married to Dan and she's happy, but she makes one little mistake that changes her life forever...
1. The Beginning

A/N: **Hi! My fourth fic I've posted, really, but we won't count _Wyatt_, because it's gone, and the Crisco Dan songs aren't technically fics…I got another fiction like this one coming along a little, so expect much, but not _too _much. Remember, I'm just a kid. **

By the way, I'm going to try my hand at naming my chapters instead of Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, etc. So when you see them, don't laugh _at_ me, laugh_ with_ me.

Another thing, this is a Work In Progress. WIPs are my worst kind of stories to write, so bear with me, people!

DISCLAIMER: **looks around nervously I didn't want the word to get out but… glances around again …I don't own Charmed… Shh! Don't tell!**

SUMMARY: **Piper is married to Dan (Oh, don't cry! Please don't cry!) and has been for years. They're happy and they love each other, or do they? (See? It's good! Be happy!) Piper still sees Leo a lot, even though she's put him in the past. But the past catched up to her when she maked just one little mistake that changes her life forever… **

PS: No magic.

Chapter OneThe Beginning

Piper walked down the stairs of the manor and into the kitchen. She retied her robe and started to make breakfast. As soon as her daughter, Allison Marie Gordon, woke, she gave the little five-year-old girl a breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon. Soon after, Dan was awake, and there were leftovers for him that particular morning.

"I love Saturdays…" Piper said, mainly to herself.

"Why is that?" Dan inquired, looking up from the newspaper he had been reading. Ally sat on his lap, pretending to be reading it, too.

"Because they're so quiet…"

"Until Phoebe and Prue get here," Dan commented.

"Aunt Phoebe, Aunt Pwue! Where aw day?" Ally asked.

"Not here," Piper responded, "thank God."

"Honey, I'm home!" Prue called as she came in the front door.

"This is not your home!" Piper yelled back at her older sister from the kitchen.

"Honey, I'm hungry!" Phoebe called. She came into the kitchen with Prue. "Hey, people!"

"Aunt Pwue! Aunt Phoebe!" Ally jumped down from Dan's lap and into Phoebe's arms. She moved from Phoebe to Prue.

"Heya, Squirt. How ya been?"

"I'm no squirt! You just a giant!" Ally retorted.

"Uh!" Prue pretended to look hurt.

"What's for breakfast?" Phoebe asked, looking over Piper's shoulder.

"Just take it, Phoebe. You'll eat anything."

"True, true." Phoebe nodded as she sat down. She took some food off of a plate and put it on her own and dug in.

"Breakfast, Prue?" Piper asked. "You can join the Let's Barge Into Our Sister's Home club and chow down with Phoebe."

"No thanks, I already ate."

Ally looked up at her mother from the table, where she could barely look over the tabletop from her regular chair. "Either she don't like your cooking, Mommy, or she part of the Mommies Against Aunts Bugging Her In Her Home cwub," she said matter-of-factly with a curt nod.

Her comment earned a laugh from everyone.

"Okay, so who's taking Ally to Pre-school?" Piper asked.

"I wil," Dan offered. "I have to go in late today."

"Okay, then, I will be at P3."

"P3 it is. Want some help?" Phoebe asked.

"No, it's okay. Leo's there, working with the new assistant manager. I just have to see how that's going and make sure the club isn't destroyed."

Piper looked up at the clock. "I'm late." She ran upstairs and changed quickly, then came back into the kitchen. "Gotta run." She kissed Dan's cheek. **(A/N: Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!)**

Piper turned to Ally. She kissed the top of her daughter's head and ruffled her hair. "Love you."

"Love you, too!" Ally returned as Piper ran out the door.

"Well fine, then, bye," Prue muttered.

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey! How's it goin' over there?" Piper asked, setting her purse down on the bar counter.

Leo looked behind him for a second, watching the bartenders carry drinks and glasses to and from the back of the club, where a delivery truck was in the alley. The assistant manager was talking to Michelle Banch and helping her set up for that night. "Uh, it's going just fine."

"So why aren't you over there?" Piper nodded toward the assistant manager. "You've got Amanda working with Michelle Branch?"

"Yeah, well, she's new and needs the experience."

"Yeah, well, _you_ are my manager, so"

"I trust her, so there."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"I could fire you for that," Piper pretended to threaten Leo.

"For what?"

"For talking back."

"No you couldn't," Leo teased back.

"Oh yes I could. Watch me."

"Nope. You couldn't fire me, because I am the _best manager ever_."

"Yeah, with the biggest ego. Now go." Piper shoved Leo toward Amanda.

A/N:** So? Whatcha think? Good? Bad? In between? I need feedback! I _feed_ off of _feed_back. **

Next chapter: Elizabeth  
No, it's not a happy thing, either, like Leo's new girlfriend. Trust me.

Like my ()()()s instead of stars and squigglies? I like the others better, but for now ()()() it is.


	2. Elizabeth

A/N: **Telekinetic Darkness, I'll have you know that with this particular fic, I can't give Leo any new girls, but then again, I can't tell you why. You can breathe again. It's not the apocalypse yet. And piperleo4eva, I am not about to take your brilliant idea of the one night stand. As much as it pains me to say it, Ally really is Dan's child…**

This takes place two weeks after Chapter 1.

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Chapter Two--Elizabeth

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Piper rushed into P3, Ally in tow. The little girl clung to her mother's hand with all her might, but still could barely keep up.

Piper stopped at the bar. She lifted Ally up onto the counter and glanced around her. "Leo!" she called.

Leo came out of the back office. He didn't look too good. Piper told Ally to stay put. She ran up to Leo and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, God, Leo, I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Leo didn't say anything, but he welcomed the hug. After a moment of silence and working back the tears threatening to spill, he asked, "How did you find out?"

"Melissa just called me," Piper answered, stepping away. "I could never imagine--" she started, unsure of what to say.

"Neither could I."

"Are you going over there?"

"Yeah, I was uh…just leaving…" Leo looked up at the door. Dan was coming down the stairs into the club.

"I'll drive you?"

Leo didn't try to sway her otherwise.

From Dan's view, what he saw made him a little suspicious. He saw Piper standing no more than a foot away from Leo, facing him. She wasn't facing Dan, but he could see Leo's hands in hers, and they were talking about something that was obviously important. Ally was sitting on the counter, coloring with a pen on a pad of paper Piper had given her to keep busy.

Piper turned around and saw Dan coming up to them. "Dan, cold you uh… I have to leave."

"What's wrong?"

Piper looked from Leo to Dan "I'll be outside," Leo said softly. He headed for the door.

Piper watched Leo go and turned back to Dan. "I have to go over to Melissa's with Leo."

"Melissa's, why? What's the problem?"

"Leo's sister, Elizabeth, was just in a car accident. She uh… She didn't make it…" Piper explained.

Dan didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, Dan, I have to go. Could you uh… take--take Ally and I'll call, okay? Okay." Piper ran out the door after Leo without another word. She found him standing against the door of his car, staring at the concrete pavement of the parking lot. "Do you want a minute?" she asked quietly.

"I've got all the time in the world."

"You want me to drive?"

Leo didn't answer or nod. He looked up at Piper and she hugged him again.

Leo was the oldest of three kids. He had two younger sisters. Elizabeth was the youngest. She was six years younger than Leo. Melissa was only two years younger. When Elizabeth was twelve, their parents were also killed in a car accident. Because Leo was eighteen and a legal adult, he took care of them and raised them. Now, seventeen years later, thirty-three-year-old Melissa had been living with her twenty-nine-year-old sister. She was the first one to find out about the accident.

Melissa was sitting on the front porch steps of her house with her head in her hands. She looked up when a car pulled into her driveway. Piper stepped out from the driver's seat, and Leo came out from the passenger's side. Melissa stood up and hugged her brother tightly.

"The uh… police want us to go to the hospital and identify her. Her… body is still over there," Melissa said, wiping some tears from her eyes.

Leo nodded.

Piper walked up quietly and hugged Melissa. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"How can you be? It wasn't your fault," Melissa responded, not wanting Piper to feel guilty.

"I'm gonna go. You two need to talk. Call me when you want your car back," Piper said. Her words were mainly to Leo, who nodded. She hugged him once more and left reluctantly.

"What about all her stuff?" Melissa asked.

"Garage sale…"

"We'll have to pack it up in boxes…"

"Come on, we have to go…"

Ally sat in the living room on the floor, coloring in one of her many coloring books. This particular one was 101 Dalmatians, and she was working very hard to stay inside the lines. Piper came down the stairs and sat on the couch behind Ally.

"Mommy, why did we go to P3 and then you left?"

"…Mommy had some things to take care of, Sweetie," Piper answered.

"Otay, now I gots another question."

"Okay, what is it?"

"What was wrong with Leo?"

"…He uh… Okay, remember when we had that little fish?"

"Swimmy!"

"Remember what happened to Swimmy?"

"He went to Godlfiss Heaven."

"But did you ever see him again?"

"No, but he will always be in my heart," Ally said sweetly.

"Right… Well, Leo's sister--"

"Melissa?"

"No, Elizabeth." Sometimes when no one could, Ally went to one of Leo's sisters to be babysat. "She was in an accident, and she went up to People Heaven," Piper explained the best way she could.

"So we won't see her again?"

"No, but--"

"She will always be in our hearts."

"Right. But losing a goldfish and losing a sister is very different. It's easier to think about a goldfish in heaven instead of earth than it is to think of a sister gone forever," Piper said.

"Not forever. When we go up to People Heaven, we can see her again."

"Right, but that won't happen for a while."

"So… We're not gonna see Leo for a few days?"

"No, we probably won't. But I'll tell you what. If Leo feels better in a few days, I'll take you over to his house and you can visit."

"Otay."

****

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A/N:** Just a thought… Ally talks a little younger than she should. She can't quite get some of those letter sounds out yet. She turned five a week ago, so I won't make her baby-talk too much, but sometimes she just can't quite get it.**

Next chapter: From Solace to Suspicion


	3. From Solace to Suspicion

A/N: **Meenyrocks, what Wyatt? Okay, I think I confused you. It's just how the storyline in Charmed followed, only they weren't magical, and Leo had sisters, too. Remember how in the end of Season 2, Piper chose Leo over Dan? In my story, she chose Dan over Leo. No Wyatt, only Ally. Okay, I think I confused you even more now…**

This takes place three days later…

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Chapter Three--From Solace to Suspicion

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Ally reached up and pressed the doorbell. She waited patiently until the door opened. Her eyes lit up. "Leo!"

"Hey, Kiddo."

"I hope you don't mind. She wanted to see you."

Ally took in a breath. "And I want to say you don't have to worry, 'cause we will see Elizabeth in People Heaven."

Leo smiled a little. "Thanks."

"That, and you can always remember that she is watching us and she's taking care of," Ally took another breath, "my goldfiss."

"Don't ask what they're teaching her in school," Piper warned. "I mean, in Preschool, all we ever did was sleep and eat sugar cookies."

"Yeah, we do that, too," Ally said matter-of-factly.

)))()((((that means some sort of break, short or long. I use it a lot…)

"Watch Ally, I gotta go," Piper called to Dan as she headed for the door.

"Where're you goin'?" Dan asked as he came down the stairs. Ally came skidding into the foyer and fell right down. She scrambled up and ran into the kitchen. "I didn't give her soda."

"It's okay, I did. The caffeine'll bring her up and drop her down in about half an hour. I'll be back in a couple hours. My cell phone's on."

"Where're you going?" Dan asked again.

"Um, over to Leo's. Like I said, I'll be back just after dark."

"K."

)))()(((

Leo opened the door and Piper offered him a small smile. He held it open for her to come inside. She turned around in the foyer and stared at him as he closed the door. A long moment later, he could finally meet her gaze.

In all the years Piper had known Leo, she had learned how to read his face. It only took her a second and she understood everything. He felt guilty. She understood that, but she didn't understand why. That was why she had a concerned look on her face and Leo looked as if he was about to be hanged.

"Why?" was Piper's question.

Leo knew what she was talking about. "Because for _seventeen years_, one way or another, I found a way to take care of her. No matter what happened, or what went wrong, she got what she needed and I managed to get it to her. I mean, when she was twelve, I could protect her, because she needed that. Then she started growing up and branching out, but she always came back when she needed me. But now…" He shook his head. "There was nothing I could do to protect her from this."

"Leo… None of this was your fault. It was no one's fault. It was her time."

"How could it? She was only twenty-nine. She made it through the struggles just after college and finished her work. She worked for her dreams and was just settling into them…"

"And that gives you no right to blame yourself."

"Says who?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, who's to say who's not responsible? You can sit there and deny it, but it doesn't make it any less true."

"It doesn't make it any easier blaming yourself, Leo. No one could have predicted what would have happened."

"…I was going to go with her that morning…" Leo led Piper over to the living room and they sat down on the couch. He spoke slowly and quietly, just barely getting some of the words out. "Then the phone rang, and you had called saying Amanda was sick, so I told Elizabeth that I would take a rain check and we decided to meet up at my place for dinner. She just got promoted and wanted to celebrate…" He took in an uneasy breath. "And just after I got to the club… the phone rang and…" He shook his head.

"Oh, God, Leo… I never… I am _so_ sorry, I never meant…"

"You didn't know…" Leo had been staring at the ground, and he looked back up at Piper with tears in his eyes. "I was thinking… If you hadn't called… I probably wouldn't be here today…"

Piper closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening them again.

"So thank you," Leo continued, "Piper, you saved my life."

Piper smiled and choked down a small sob in her throat as she pulled Leo down to her to hug him.

)))()(((

Piper opened the front door quietly and snuck inside, closing it behind her. She hung her coat up on the coat rack, walked into the kitchen, and set her purse down on the table.

Dan came down the stairs. He looked up at the clock. It was a quarter past midnight. He walked into the kitchen. Piper was sitting at the table, her head resting in her hands.

"…Piper?"

Piper looked up. "Hey."

"It's midnight."

"I know and I--I'm sorry, but I just… With the funeral today and all…"

"How'd it go?"

"It was beautiful. Melissa did most of the planning… Leo just couldn't… Amanda's going to be back at work, so he's gonna take a week off…"

Dan nodded.

"There was a big turnout… All of her friends… She had a boyfriend, and he was there… It all went well."

"Good… Where were you, at Leo's?"

"Yeah. After the funeral, we went back there to talk… Then Melissa came over and left a few hours ago… Sorry I stayed so late, but I just…"

"Yeah, I--I understand."

)))()(((

Over the next week, Piper was with Leo every night. She stayed with him sometimes past midnight. They talked a lot. Elizabeth's death was a major impact on Leo. Piper had managed to talk him out of feeling guilty, but she wasn't sure if what he said was what he felt. If maybe Leo was telling her that he agreed and said he didn't feel guilty when really he did.

But the impact of Elizabeth made Leo put life into perspective. He talked to Piper about it, too. How nothing seemed the same anymore.

Two weeks after Elizabeth's death, they ended up talking about it again…

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"It's like… I don't know, I just look at things different. Everything. The little things count more now… It sounds weird, I know, but…"

"No, Leo, it doesn't. It sounds right."

"And I don't mean that bigger things don't count, just… I guess we started taking each other for granted, me and my sisters… Like because we made it through out parents' deaths and through school and how we put each other through college, it was some sort of sign. One that meant that because we had gone through so much together, nothing could ever break us apart. So we spread out and just followed life. Melissa took Liz in and they lived off of each other… Then you and I got together and…" Leo trailed off.

"Yeah." Piper smiled. "We had some good times, huh?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah, we did."

Piper went out on a limb. "…Um, Leo? I was wondering… Why _did_ we break up? I--I mean, just before I first started dating Dan…"

"Mmm… I don't know, really… Little things, I guess…"

"I have to go, it's late."

"I'll see you at the club tomorrow."

"K."

Piper wrapped her arms around Leo and hugged him. Something didn't feel right, though. She was too comfortable.

)))()(((

Piper walked up the steps to her house and stuck the key in the hole. Why was it a problem that she felt comfortable hugging her friend? What even triggered the thought that I was _too_ comfortable? She'd hugged Leo thousands of times over the years. So why was then different? Maybe because of Elizabeth… Maybe it meant more… No, that wasn't it. It wasn't a "goodbye" hug. How could she know the difference, though? _Was_ there a difference? Why was something not right then?

…It felt like old times. Like when there would be a problem and Leo would be there for her. How they could just sit in a long embrace like that forever, never wanting to move. That was what it was. It was an "old times" hug. Piper nodded a little to back herself up. An "old times" hug.

"Piper, it's two o'clock in the morning," Dan's voice sounded from behind her.

Piper whirled around. "Dan, I am _so_ sorry that I'm so late, it's just that time got away from me and… You're mad," Piper noted.

"No, it's just that lately you've been doing this a lot."

"Doing what?"

"Staying out hours later than you say you will, coming home at two in the morning, leaving here and going straight over to…"

"Leo's?"

"Yes."

"That's a problem?"

"No. Not… Not at first. But it's been two weeks--"

"Dan, if your sister--Jenny's mother--died, would it take you two weeks to move on?" Piper asked.

"No, but--"

"Then what makes you think that it would take Leo two weeks? Somebody he loved--somebody he cared for for so many years--was killed for no reason. How is two weeks supposed to cover it all?"

"He's got his other sister, Piper."

"Dan, if, God forbid, anything happened to Prue or Phoebe, you would want me to find some comfort somewhere, correct?"

"Yes."

"And if I turned to you and my other sister, that would seem right."

Dan nodded.

"What if I also went somewhere else? To someone who's been my friend for so many years… Someone I can call at two or even three in the morning just to talk… Would that be a problem?"

"No, Piper, I just worry."

"And I'm sorry. But you shouldn't. I'm fine. Just caring for a friend."

)))()(((

At six in the morning, Dan woke up to someone opening the bedroom door and leaving the room. He silently got up and followed Piper's footsteps into Ally's room, watching from his bedroom doorway, the door barely cracked. He could see into his daughter's room and saw Piper bend over and kiss the top of the little girl's head before leaving. She closed the door quietly behind her and crept down the stairs. Dan followed silently and watched as she grabbed her coat and purse before heading out the door.

Dan sighed. There were two explanations for everything, but only one of them was true. Either Piper was telling the truth and was only consoling a friend, or he was right and something else was happening behind it that Piper was telling him. Maybe there was something between Leo and his wife, and maybe there wasn't. But, of course, Dan suspected the worst. Who wouldn't? He knew all to well Piper and Leo were together before he was with her. But then… they were married, and Piper was faithful. Right?

Dan left his thoughts and worries and went back to sleep.

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A/N: **This chapter was about five pages long, so that's actually pretty good, I think. Anyway… Um… Since I can't think of anything to say about this story, I'll comment on _Houses_. For those who are reading this and also read _Houses,_ I'll have the next chapter up in a few days, and I am very sorry for the delay.**

And if there's any delay in this or _Home Sweet Home_ or _Houses_, it's because I'm moving everything from my computer to my laptop, and it won't all go on a disk that I can just pop in my laptop and download everything into it. I have to type everything in. Every… single… story. It is hell on earth… _Home Sweet Home_ has a few more chapters written on my computer, so I have to type them into the one I'm using now, so it may take a few days…_ Houses_ won't take as long, since it's a Work In Progress. And this story is, too, so don't worry people. I am working on it, I promise.

Next chapter: The Mistake

Ooh, you know? When you say it in a deep, dark tone it sounds so morbid and almost evil… _The Mistake…_

PS: Okay, this is my last thought, then you guys can turn your attention to someone that is more interesting than myself… I was watching a re-run on TNT this morning, and it happened to be That Old Black Magic. (You know, the Season 2 one write after The Devil's Music.) At the end of the eppi, I tried to be brave and watch Piper say that it was over, and I laughed at Dan's hurt face, then I heard her say it was over between her and Leo. So I stayed strong and kept watching and I wasn't prepared for what I saw. I saw them kiss. And I don't mean a peck on the lips, I mean like… Ew… ::shudders:: So a warning: do not watch the end of That Old Black Magic if you are part of the I Hate Dan club, or any of its branches.


	4. The Mistake

A/N:** _The Mistake…_ Sorry, I'm still stuck on that deep, dark tone…**

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Chapter Four--The Mistake -- **Look, there it is again!**

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Piper looked up from the bar at P3. Leo and Melissa were sitting in the alcove. She could barely see into it to see them. A moment later, Melissa stood up and left, coming up to the bar.

"Hey."

"Hey, Melissa, how are you?"

"I'm… doin' okay." Melissa smiled a little. "Like I just told Leo, I'm going to go to New York for a month. Go stay with a friend of mine for a little bit."

"When are you leaving?" Piper asked, coming out from behind the bar.

Melissa sighed. "Tomorrow."

"Oh. You'll be back, right?"

"Right."

"What about your house? What--What about your _cat_?"

Melissa smiled. "Leo has offered to take the cat, and our cousin, Julie, is going to live in the house…"

"Take care."

"I will, and you take care of my brother."

Piper smiled. "I will. I promise."

Melissa smiled and Piper returned it with a hug. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"And remember, you promised."

"You know me."

"I'll call and write and everything like that."

"Okay, I'll see you in a month."

"I love you."

"Love you, too." Piper hugged Melissa again and watched her leave. Leo walked up. "Hey."

"Hey…"

"You uh… You wanna get out of here?"

"We have to stay to lock up."

"Ah, Amanda can take care of it. Come on, we'll go back to your place…"

)))()((( **(A/N: Does that thing remind you of a spider?)**

Leo pulled into the driveway, he and Piper both laughing.

"No, no, but seriously, I walked up to this guy and I've got this proud, drunken-girl walk with a beer in one hand and I say to him, 'Hey, dude, you look like the guy that goes _hoo-hoo_ on the biscuit can!'" Piper laughed even harder. "And he looks at me and says, 'Piper Halliwell, so you finally learned how to cook, huh?' So I stared at him for a second, and I realize he was my old Home Economics teacher. And I got the biscuit thing because he used to take the Pillsbury Biscuit can and act like the Doughboy. He'd stand there at the front of the class and go, 'Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!'" Piper imitated her teacher.

"So you're drunk, and you see your ex-teacher and tell him he looks like the guy on the biscuit can?"

"Yes, and Prue and Phoebe came up and dragged me away, and I came into the manor going, 'Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!'"

Piper was laughing so hard at the memory that she didn't realize Leo getting out of the car and opening her door. She looked up and smiled. "You know? You kinda _look_ like the Doughboy," she said, her voice choked with giggles.

Leo smiled. "Come on."

Piper stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her. She walked with Leo up to the steps to his door. It was dark out. Piper suddenly felt the way she had before. Something wasn't right. This was _too_ right… Piper knew she had walked up Leo's steps to his door with him many times, but something felt different about this time. She couldn't tell what, though. Just... Something…

They got to Leo's door and he turned to Piper. She felt the warning feeling even stronger. Something was different about this night. She smiled at him, but her smiled dropped when she was hooked. Her eyes were locked in his, and, though her heart was pounding so hard she couldn't hear herself think, she could tell her hand was in his. She pulled him down and kissed him on the cheek.

But when Piper turned the other way, Leo looked at her and she was lost. She looked back at him and seemed to freeze. Everything was happening in slow motion. There was nothing she could do to stop it.

She melted. She always melted when he looked at her like that. The kind of look that made her knees. Before she could even truly understand what was happening, they were both coming closer.

It was Piper who started the kiss, pulling Leo down to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kept one arm around her waist, the other hand resting on her cheek.

And Piper was lost once more, so she didn't move. She stood on her ex boyfriend's front porch, kissing him. She opened her mouth gently and let the kiss deepen… The way things used to be…

At the same time, they both seemed to understand what was happening and pulled away quickly.

"Piper…" Leo started.

"I… should go…" Piper said.

"…Yeah."

Piper stared at Leo for a few seconds. She turned away hesitantly and walked to her car.

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A/N: Ooh, I wonder what happens next… Question: Could this have been called "The Way Things Used To Be"? I'm not ditching the name "The Mistake", 'cause I love it, but it's just a question I've thrown out in the air…


	5. This Changes EverythingOr Does It?

A/N: **I've worked out chapters and what will happen in each, so, with any luck, this fic will be finished in…16-18 chapters. Whew, that means I'd better get writin'. Uh, this chapter starts just as Piper gets home.**

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Chapter Five--This Changes Everything…Or Does It?

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Piper opened her front door in a daze. She reached to hang her coat up on the hook and missed as she walked, but didn't seem to notice. She set her purse on the foyer table, missing by about seven inches, and it fell, but she also didn't seem notice. She stumbled into the kitchen and sat at the table, her head in her hands. She dreamt it all. That was it. She was dreaming. It was all an illusion… A dream…

But her mind and her heart were screaming at her, both saying it was all real. Her mind told her it was a terrible thing she had done. She had betrayed her husband. The father of her child! But her heart was cheering her on.

Besides, it was just a… goodnight kiss. Right…?

Piper knew that was a cop out, and a dumb one, too. She shook her head. She was wrong to do something like she had… But it felt so right… No! No, no, no! It was wrong! It was a mistake! One she had to fix…

"Piper?"

Piper whirled around. "D--Dan, hi!"

"Lock up the club?"

"Yeah," Piper lied. Amanda had locked up…

"I figured you'd be at _Leo's_ late tonight…"

Hearing Dan say Leo's name… and the way he said it… Piper knew there was something she had to do… Hell, she already screwed up, so why not?

"Um… Dan I--I--I have to go…" Piper ran for the door.

"Where to?"

"I'll uh, I'll call you," Piper stammered as she opened the door and left.

)))()((( **(I'm gonna call this little guy PSD--Parenthesis Spider Dude)**

Piper walked up the steps and knocked on the door nervously. It opened slowly and she could see Leo's face. He was wide awake.

"Piper, what…"

"Leo, I couldn't leave it like that. I just… I couldn't."

"Piper, you have to leave. You can't be here."

"Leo, please."

Leo came outside and stood in front of Piper. "It's not right. You have to go home," he said, going against everything in his heart.

But Piper wasn't about to do the same. She followed her heart and did what she needed to do and what she knew Leo needed, too. In one swift motion, she pulled him down for a kiss. It caught Leo by surprise, but once he realized what was happening, he pulled her closer and didn't pull away.

Piper started to push Leo through the open door. He backed up but didn't break the kiss. Once they were both inside, they pulled apart hesitantly, neither wanting to. Piper closed the door with her foot.

She pulled back for a second, smiled, and kissed him again. He guided her backward, and she fell onto the first thing under her, which happened to be the couch in his living room.

Piper pulled away suddenly, realizing what she was about to do. "Leo, this isn't right. We can't do this," she whispered from under him.

"Piper, if this wasn't right, would you be here right now?"

Piper nodded. "Yes, I would. You know I would."

"You can turn back now, Piper. I'm not forcing you to do anything."

Piper shook her head. "I'm not being forced."

Leo didn't say anything. He was searching her face for any resistance.

Piper opened her mouth to speak. As she did, Leo kissed her, and her thoughts floated away. There was something in his kisses, something Dan never had. There was more passion, more intimacy. More love.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself tugging at his shirt and he broke the kiss to pull it off. Piper took a second to admire his chest, something she missed. But she closed her eyes again as he pulled her into another passionate kiss.

He reached for the bottom of her shirt and as he started to pull it up, Piper pulled away. "Mmm mmm." She pointed up and smiled.

Leo got the simple enough hint and scooped Piper up, standing up with her cradled in his arms, and carried her upstairs.

)))()(((

Piper woke the next morning with a strange feeling. She looked at the arm around her waist and caught her breath. She remembered everything. She closed her eyes tightly, hoping it would all go away, but when she opened them, she was even closer to Leo. Did she do that?

"Crap…" Piper muttered. Her mind started to race. What was she going to do? What would she tell Dan? Wait, did she have to tell him? Well, she did, right? He was her husband. Or… Maybe… Maybe Leo was really her husband and she was dreaming everything with Dan and Ally and she just woke up and--_No, no, that's not right,_ Piper thought, shaking her head.

The reality hit her.

She slept with Leo.

Piper rolled over quietly and stared at Leo, who was asleep. She never imagined being back here. Never in her wildest dreams. She was with Dan. She was married. This was wrong. It was so, so wrong.

But it was so right. Everything about the night before felt _so_ right. She couldn't have imagined it like that. It was nothing like any night with her husband…

Her husband. What would she tell him? _He'll never know_, Piper thought. She looked at Leo lovingly and smiled. She then forced herself out of the bed, careful not to wake him up. She didn't bother to take the sheet up with her, fearing that it may wake him. She collected her clothes and threw them on as quickly and quietly as possible. As she walked out of the room, she stole one last glance at Leo, not smiling or frowning. She turned and left.

)))()(((

"Piper? Where the hell have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Dan, I… I went over to Prue's and stayed with her," Piper lied.

"Well, when you came in here earlier, you rushed back out like you forgot something," Dan noted.

"I--I did. I uh, had to go back for it…" Piper decided to change the subject. "How's Ally?"

"Fine. She's sleeping still."

"Good. I think I'll sneak in her room and maybe get--" Piper glanced at the clock. Ten o'clock. "--some sleep…"

Dan stepped aside, offering Piper the right-of-way.

)))()(((

Piper slipped into her daughter's bed and laid down with her, wrapping her arms around the small body tightly. Ally snuggled up to her mom, but didn't wake up.

Piper stared at the little girl for a moment. Somewhere in the back of her mind, in the bottom of her heart, she wanted her daughter to be Leo's child. Something inside of her wanted Ally to be Leo's, not Dan's…

)))()(((

That night at P3, Piper didn't see Leo. She stayed in her office most of the time. When she finally came out, boom! He was the first thing she saw. Of course, he was across the club behind the bar, but her eyes found his immediately.

Piper nodded for Leo to come over to her, and after handing a couple their drinks, he came out from behind the bar and walked slowly up to Piper. She walked backward into her office and he followed. She closed it behind them.

"Piper…" Leo started, though he didn't know which words to use.

Piper took a deep breath. "It isn't right."

"No."

"But…" Piper closed her eyes. When she opened them, Leo was still standing before her. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Leo was silent, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"…It _was_ right… It was perfect, and it was right, and it was…"

"It was leading us on. A taste… A memory… of what could never be."

"Says who?" Piper took a step forward.

"Piper, you're married. You have a daughter."

"I've been waiting for this, Leo. For something new to happen to my life. This is it. I have to follow it. I have to follow you."

"You can't."

Piper shook her head. "Leo, last night reminded me… It reminded me of how we used to be. How we could be again… I want that, Leo… I miss that."

"It can't happen, Piper."

"Says who?"

"Says everything right! Every_one_! Piper, it isn't possible for us to be together again. It didn't work out then, and it can't work now. There's more at risk."

"Like what?"

"Like your daughter!"

"Leo, she loves you!"

"She is _not_ my daughter! She never will be! Think about what would happen to her! She wouldn't understand why her mom and her dad just can't get along."

"She can learn."

"What about Dan? You've been married to him for years now!"

"And I wish it could have been you instead."

"Piper, you're talking on impulse! It was a mistake! It _cannot_ work."

"Leo, there is only one thing at stake here for me!" Piper cried.

"And what's that?"

"Love."

Leo was about to speak, but he stopped short.

"I love you, Leo… Oh God, I love you so much," Piper said quietly, shaking her head to get some fresh tears out.

"Piper, don't say that."

"Why not? Why do I have to deprive myself of what I want? Of who I want."

Piper stepped forward, and when Leo didn't back away, she pulled him down for a passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, he took a moment to answer her. "I love you," he whispered. "…But this changes everything."

"This changes _nothing_. But no one can know."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

A/N:** Sorry 'bout the delay, but I'm spending all my spare time looking at schools because I'm so damn stubborn I refuse to go back to that hellhole they call a "learning facility"…**

Anyway, I'm working on the other stories, but no ideas are coming up… I tried the open-it-up-and-just-start-typing trick… Didn't work…

I'll keep on keepin' on, though, and should have another update soon.


	6. The Journal

My God, has it been 4 months?!? So sorry about the delay! I just couldn't seem to come up with any ideas…Writer's block strikes again! (And it's major blow is on Houses. I swear I'm working on it!) Anyway, it's like two in the morning, and I just wrote more than two-thirds of this chapter like _just now_. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six--The Journal

* * *

Piper laid on her stomach on Leo's chest. She sighed and smiled. His eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn't sleeping. His hands moved from her sides to her waist and pulled her closer. The thin white sheet covering her body slipped down her back, but he didn't bother to pull it back up.

It had meant three days of lying and sneaking out of the house, but Piper had managed to keep Dan's suspicions low. She had snuck out of the house just hours earlier and made it to Leo's house. They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when Piper asked a question that had been plaguing her for the past few days.

"Leo, why did we break up in the first place?" she asked suddenly, sitting up on her arms a little.

Leo's eyes opened and he stared at Piper. "…Little things, I guess…"

"…Little things…?"

"Differences that we didn't understand, you know?"

"I don't." Piper shook her head. "Tell me."

"Well…I think that back then…six years ago…I think we wanted different things…" Leo said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked as she rested her head on his chest again.

"I mean that…We wanted different things in a relationship. Things that we just couldn't give each other…Like, you wanted someone who would be around when you needed…With my job, I couldn't give you that…"

Piper nodded. "I remember. I wish could have been more understanding about that…"

"It was fair what you wanted, but there's no point in wishing we'd have done things differently now…I'm not going anywhere."

Piper smiled.

"I mean…We broke up not because we didn't want each other…but because we couldn't give each other what we wanted."

"That makes sense…Thank you."

There was silence.

"…It won't happen again, right?" Piper asked in a whisper, not looking up.

"What won't?"

"Our fighting…Us breaking up."

Leo sighed. "I don't know…This is difficult. We have so many things stopping us--"

"Not _stopping_ us. Nothing will. Look at us now."

"I know…But Dan…and Ally…"

Piper was silent.

She wanted to scream.

* * *

Piper watched her daughter from the doorway. Ally was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Dan came up from behind Piper quietly and put his arms around her waist.

Piper jumped. His touch was familiar, but for some odd reason, she was surprised that he wasn't Leo. She closed her eyes and reminded her of who it was.

"Hey. What're you doing?"

"Watching her sleep," Piper replied quietly.

"For how long?"

"…A while…"

Then Dan asked a question that Piper wouldn't have expected. "How's Leo doing?" he said, turning Piper around to look at him.

The question made her take in a breath. He ran his hands down her arms to take her hands. She sighed.

"He's…been better. But he and Melissa are spending more time together and are working through it."

"Yeah. I see you guys talking a lot."

"Yeah…He really just needs me as a friend right now, of all times."

"I get that."

Piper smiled. "Thank you. I'm glad you do."

* * *

That night, at P3, Piper sat on her desk in her office, leaning against the wall. She rested her feet on the edge of the desk. She hid her head in her hands. She had been thinking all day about her situation with Leo. She knew that he loved her, and that she loved him. But she had a family. A daughter. She had devoted herself to her wedding vows.

And then she had broken them.

And it was so wrong.

But it felt so right.

She wondered if Leo could help her. For three days, she had snuck out of the house, lied to Dan and Ally, and ran off to see Leo. Looking at it now, it all seemed selfish and foolish and wrong.

But it was so right.

Piper sighed. She had a split second thought that she should cut everything off with Leo. That she should devote herself to her husband and child and never speak of her affair with Leo again.

But when that thought crossed her mind, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She knew that would never happen. She loved Leo. She loved him like…well…like she loved her husband.

God damn it.

Why did everything have to be so hard?

A tear slowly made its way down Piper's cheek. She jumped when the door opened, but looked back at her feet when she saw that it was Leo. He saw the tear on her cheek and made his way slowly up to her. She was crying silently, and he stood in front of her quietly.

Piper looked up to stare into Leo's eyes for a moment. She sobbed and moved forward. She sat on the edge of the desk and he welcomed her body into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know if I can do this, Leo," Piper sobbed quietly.

"I know."

"But I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," was all Leo could say.

"But I love my family," Piper said, pulling away. "I love my husband…and I love my daughter _so_ much. I don't want to hurt them."

"I know…"

"But I don't want to hurt you, either, Leo. I love you with all my heart, and I would never want to hurt you…"

Leo was silent. He waited for her to continue.

"That's why…why I cannot tell Dan about us."

Leo nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but held it in and waited.

"I _cannot_ tell him. If he finds out…" Piper shook her head. "Never mind. We just can't let him. No one can know."

"No one," he echoed, nodding.

"Good."

There was a break of silence between them.

Piper suddenly moved forward and kissed Leo. She rested one hand on his cheek and felt his hand on her waist.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too." Piper smiled to herself. "I just have to get back to work, okay?"

"Okay."

Piper kissed Leo one last time before sliding off of the desk. She turned for the door and took a step. She turned around to face Leo and took his hand.

"Do me one favor?"

"Anything," he swore.

"Spend the night with Melissa. I'll see you tomorrow."

He could barely nod.

* * *

Melissa opened her door quietly. Her features softened when she saw Leo. She opened the door a little wider and let him inside.

Leo turned around to see his sister's tearstained face. He looked at her with concern. "Melissa?"

"I have to show you something."

Leo followed Melissa upstairs and to Elizabeth's door. Melissa opened it and stepped inside, but Leo hesitated. After a couple of seconds, he took a step inside. Memories and flashbacks flooded his mind, but he somehow managed to push them aside and watch Melissa go to Elizabeth's desk. She pulled out a notebook.

"Kinda…simple, but it fits Elizabeth's profile to use a Mead Five Star notebook as a diary."

Leo smiled. "Let me see."

Melissa handed the notebook to Leo. They sat on their sister's bed and Leo opened up the journal. On the very first page was a drawing of three wolves howling in a field under the moon.

"She was always a good artist."

"Are you kidding? She was the next da Vinci…" Melissa muttered. They both smiled. "Turn the page."

Leo did what Melissa said and read a couple of journal entries...

January 2, 2003   
Goddamn that brother of mine! He got me so freaking drunk last night I couldn't believe it! Even his girlfriend drank as much as us. His New Year's parties are always so fun. I gotta say--or write, really--though, the funniest parts of the night (and early morning) were after Marie (Leo's girlfriend, remember? I think I wrote that somewhere in a Christmas entry.) got drunk. Everything she did--every move she made--was flirtatious. She kept hitting on Leo. It got disgusting.   
Hmm…I hope Melissa gets married soon. Then she can move away, and the house will be mind, all mine! Actually, now that I think about it, she'd probably kick me out…Damn…Maybe I could live with Leo…? He'd probably kick me out and move Marie in…

January 12, 2003   
Melissa stole my dress and broke the strap. Leo went into Dad-mode when he saw my boyfriend.   
Sometimes I wish I was an only child.   
But I really don't.   
I love my brother and sister. I mean, think about it. Melissa gave me the chance to get a new strapless dress free-of-charge. Thanks to Leo, I'm single again and I can hit on the neighbor once more! Woo hoo!

They sat there for a couple of hours, reading some of Elizabeth's secrets and desires, wants and needs, angers and joys. Some of the pages in the notebook were artwork, some were all scribbled out. Sometimes she wrote in cursive, sometimes in print. She wrote about her and Melissa's boyfriends and Leo's girlfriends. She wrote about how she missed her parents, about how she wondered if things would be different if they were alive. She wrote about her hopes and dreams.

Some of them never came true.


	7. Telling Her Sisters

**OMG, it has been WAY too long! I honestly forgot about this fic!Most of youwill probably have to go back and read the whole thing again!I was putting this up when my mom banged on the window and showed me this box full of baby chicks! We only have one other chicken and we were waiting for the stores to get Easter chicks. Right now my year-old chicken Bubbs(honarably named after my grandma. Yeah,I know, we named a chicken after her...But she's really smart!) is pecking around outside and my dog is staring inteltly at the chicks...drool coming down one side of her mouth...lol. j/k. She likes chickens. Gets along with them well. Anyway, enough about my baby chicks (who I have to go name!) and more about...Well...Reading and reviewing!**

* * *

A week passed. Then two. Then three. Time flew.

Piper looked up from behind the bar of P3 when she heard the door open. She looked up, expecting to see Dan, but instead saw Leo. She smiled. That was when she saw Ally with him, and her smile grew. Ally's hand was wrapped tightly around Leo's as she jumped down the steps after him.

"Hey," Piper greeted.

"Hi, Mommy."

"What're you doing here?" Piper asked her daughter.

Leo lifted Ally up and she sat on a stool at the bar. "Leo picked me up fwom school 'cause Daddy couldn't."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, uh, Dan called in to her pre-school and told the secretary that he would have to work later. The school couldn't get as hold of you, so they called me," Leo explained, sitting next to Ally at the bar.

"See, I knew putting you on her emergency card was worth it," Piper said with a smile.

"Yeah…"

"Ally, did you thank Leo?" Piper asked.

"Yes, I did," Ally said matter-of-factly.

"Good." Piper smiled, but her smiled was directed toward Leo, who returned it. She reached over and took his hand. "Thank you," she repeated. Then she looked down at her daughter. "Ally, there are some coloring books behind the bar for you, okay? There're crayons in there, too. Why don't you…"

"Okay, Mommy." Ally nodded and jumped into Piper's arms. When her feet were on the ground, she grabbed the coloring books and set to work.

Piper walked around to the other side of the bar and grabbed Leo's hand, leading him into her office. As soon as she closed and locked the door behind them, she whipped around and kissed him passionately.

"God, I missed you so much," Piper whispered when they pulled apart. "Three days is just three days too long…"

"Huh. No kidding."

Piper smiled and kissed Leo again.

* * *

A week later, Piper asked Leo to pick Ally up again. She told Dan Ally had asked for it, but the truth was that she just wanted to see her daughter with Leo. Something about it...Something about seeing them together was just...right. It was right.

"Hey, thanks for picking her up."

"Anytime."

Ally hugged Leo and ran to Dan. He picked her up.

Piper stood behind Dan and Ally. She wasn't watching them, thoughshe was watching Leo. Dan carried Ally into the kitchen. Piper looked up and caught Leo's eye.

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Want me to, uh…I'll walk you out," Piper suggested.

Leo nodded. He and Piper walked out to the front porch. She turned to him and smiled. She looked around shyly.

"I'd kiss you, but Dan…"

"I know." There was a stretch of silence between them. After a moment, Leo asked, "What're you going to do about him?"

Piper sighed. "I don't know…But he's getting suspicious of _something_, because we've been sleeping on opposite sides of the bed, if you…know what I mean…"

Leo nodded.

"It's just…I can't…It's hard to be close to him knowing you're over there, just on the other side of town…I can't think about it."

"I'm actually glad."

Piper smiled again. "I…I can't avoid him much longer before he starts asking questions…I mean, a month and a half is kind of a long time to not be in the mood…" she said, smiling nervously. It was a strange topic to speak about with Leo.

"I think I would understand that…But you can't fend him off forever…"

"I know…I can't talk about this now…I'll come over later?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Good…I love you."

"I love you, too."

Leo left, and Piper's hand slipped out of his as he walked away. When he was gone and his car was out of sight, she turned and went back inside the house.

* * *

The next day, as Piper was sneaking into the house, a sudden, shocking realization hit her. It had been bothering her for a while now, but she wasn't sure what _it_ was. Now she knew.

She didn't love her husband.

It wasn't that he was a bad father—he was a great father—and they weren't fighting or anything, at least not more than a married couple normally fought. She just…She didn't love him anymore. They'd drifted apart, and they had been for a while.

She decided to tell Leo.

* * *

"Oh," was all Leo could manage when Piper explained her reasoning to him.

"Oh? That's all you have to say? I just told you I don't love the man I'm married to." Piper almost laughed. "Oh?"

Leo shrugged. "Yeah."

Piper laughed out loud. She ran a hand through her hair. "Oh…Okay."

"What are you going to tell Dan?"

She looked up, and he could tell she'd never even thought about it. Another sudden realization hit her. "I think I need to talk to my sisters."

"What? Piper, if someone finds out—"

"What are we gonna do, Leo? Just keep up an _affair_ for the rest of our lives?"

He was silent, unsure.

"Now…I need to talk to my sisters," she said pointedly.

He nodded.

* * *

Piper called her sisters and they agreed to meet at Prue's house. When Piper got there, she was shaking. She was terrified to tell them, terrified of what they would think, what they would say. When they were all sitting in the living room giggling over small talk and amusing work stories, Piper realized something _else_.

She had no idea what she was going to tell them.

She cleared her throat suddenly, before she even knew what she was doing. That was how she did things she was afraid to do, just…do it before you even realize what you're doing. "I have to tell you guys something…" she said. 

"What? What is it?" Phoebe asked.

"I, uh…" She took in a deep breath and swallowed. "I've been having an affair."

"Oh my God, what?"

She repeated it, with slightly more confidence this time.

"With who?"

She nodded a little and closed her eyes. "Leo."

Her sisters were silent for a moment. "Does Dan know?"

"No…" Piper shook her head. "Just you guys."

"How long?" Prue asked.

"About…a month and a half."

"Oh my God, Piper, why haven't you told us?"

She shrugged. "I was afraid."

"I…We had no idea."

Piper nodded again. "Hidden in plain sight."

"Wow…"

"So…you guys aren't mad?"

"Mad? Why would we be mad?" Phoebe asked.

"I don't know…Are you gonna tell Dan?" Piper asked them.

Prue and Phoebe exchanged a glance. They looked back at Piper and shook their heads. Piper breathed a sigh of relief.

"I just…" Prue started. "I wanna know why you didn't tell us?"

Piper shrugged. "I told you, I was afraid you would freak out…or tell."

"It's not kindergarten, Piper."

She nodded. "I know, but…I mean, when I said my wedding vows, I meant to be true to them. I feel like I've broken them, I have." She paused for a few seconds as tears formed in her eyes. "But it doesn't feel wrong."

* * *

**So...I think it was okay, considering the delay. Don't forget to review, and I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP!**


	8. Ratted Out

**Hey, you know, I had this chapter ready to go and I thought I posted it but I just realized I didn't! I am so sorry!**

meenyrocks: I'm not sure how Dan is gonna react. I think maybe he'll go stark-raving mad. I went stark-raving mad when my boyfriend cheated on me. I think Dan should, too.

GeminiPiper: I love all your stories, too. I've read all of them, except...maybe...a few chapters of Woman, but the ending made me cry! Made my friend cry, too! On my part, Home Sweet Home is pretty good, I think. I might rewrite it someday and put it back up with minor changes. That's what I'm doing to Houses. And you're losing your mind, too? My mom told me I was crazy and I told her "Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it!" It's a good line. I took it from something...Don't remember what...lol

piper+leo4eva: What, no rambling? No ranting? No repeating yourself? Wow. lol, j/k

scullymulder: That's good. Update Good. Better than soon. Because you can wait a long time for something good, but it's harder to wait a short time for crap. That's good!

LeoPiper-Forever: lol, sucker Dan. Funny.

Samantha R: I know, I was going to make Ally Leo's...But I thought to myself, 'a lot of people do that in their fics where Piper cheats on Dan. i'm gonna be different.' So I am! But don't worry, I'll take care of them. Thanks, btw, I do love the little chicks. We named one Beaver and one Runt, but the others are all nameless.

livingwyatt: thanks!

CharmedGurlie: I think I broke some sort of wall in this fic. I will probably be able to write it easier. I've got a whole plan for it now.

Sandy: Okay, so I forgot a line! I'll try to go back and fix it, lol. Thanks for pointing it out!

Piper xox Leo: Actually, I did forget about it, but then I remembered and I...finished the chapter...and I...posted it...and I'm losing my train of thought...wow, this is weird...Huh.

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE - RATTED OUT**

Piper lay on Leo's chest, both of them breathing heavily, when she started laughing. It was soft at first, while her head rested under his chin but then she couldn't stop, and she rolled off of him, taking the sheet with her. She dug her face into the pillow and laughed uncontrollably.

When her breathing slowed, she turned her face to one side, resting the side of her head on the pillow, and her brown eyes, teary from laughing, met Leo's hazel ones, and all she was curiosity.

She giggled.

"What?" he asked, pulling her back onto him as he lay on his back again.

Piper hugged his neck as tight as she could. She pulled back, kissed him, and smiled. "I just love you."

He smiled. "Well, I love you too, but I don't just love you…" He rolled her onto her back and raised himself above her. "I love you more than I loved my Uncle Tom's Camaro," he said.

Piper laughed. "Good to know. I know you loved that car."

* * *

"I need three more boxes of swizzle sticks!" Piper yelled across the empty P3 at one of her workers. He nodded and went outside to the loading truck that had just dropped off a shipment.

Leo came inside from the back door. Piper didn't notice him until he came up from behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her neck. She fell back into him and let him turn her around to kiss him.

They pulled away slowly and Piper smiled and licked her lips.

"You'd better get back to work," Leo said.

"_I'd_ better? _You'd_ better—Or else I'll fire you."

"You wouldn't," Leo said, pulling Piper back to him.

She smiled when he moved closer to her face. "Mmm…You're right…I wouldn't." They kissed. "Still…You should go. I'm not done with inventory. You've still got a job to do."

"Ha, so do you."

Piper thought about his words for a moment, not sure how to take them. She gave up, kissed him, and pushed him away.

The door to the back office opened and Amanda, the assistant manager, came out carrying boxes. Piper jumped around to look at her and when she turned back around Leo was gone, probably outside to watch over the loading truck.

For a moment Piper was scared that Amanda had seen her kiss Leo, but Amanda went outside with a smile and a short hello to Piper, so she wasn't too worried. She couldn't have seen anything, could see?

* * *

When Piper got home that night, Dan was waiting for her.

"Hey, Honey. Where's Ally?"

"At Prue's house."

"Oh. Okay." She hung up her coat and walked into the kitchen, where she set her purse down on the counter.

"How were things at work today?" Dan asked, moving up behind her.

Piper shrugged. "Fine." Something in his voice sounded different. Like he knew something that she didn't…Wait…No, he couldn't…She turned around to see him standing right in front of her, his face hovering just above hers.

"I got a call from your new manager…Amanda, is it?"

Piper swallowed and nodded. "Dan…"

He was staring into her eyes.

He knew.

"…You did! You kissed him!"

Piper slid away from the counter and stood in the middle of the kitchen. "Dan, wait. I—I can explain!"

"Then by all means, Piper! Explain! Are you sleeping with him, too?"

Fire Amanda! Fire Amanda! Fire Amanda!

She gulped.

"_You are_? Oh my God, Piper! You little bitch! What the hell got into you? This is why you're never 'in the mood', isn't it? 'Cause you already got screwed for the day!"

"Dan—"

"What, am I not being a good husband? Am I not being a good enough father?" Something clicked in Dan's head. "That was where you were that night, then? When you came home late and turned around and left? You went to Leo's house, didn't you? That's where you keep sneaking off to! You've been lying to me, to everyone!"

He'd been advancing on her and she'd been backing out of the kitchen toward the foyer.

"Dan, I—"

"Who else knows, Piper?"

"P—Prue and Phoebe know."

"You're _sisters_ know?"

She nodded and backed toward the door.

"How long, then?"

"A...A month..."

"A month? You've been having an affair for a _month_ behind my back?"

The sarcasm slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "Well it was behind your back because I wasn't gonna tell you," she muttered, then clamped a hand over her mouth to shut herself up.

"Who else are you screwin' around with? Do you lead some two-dollar whore life that I don't know about?"

"No! I—We didn't plan it or anything, Dan! We just…It just _happened_! I love him!" Piper defended herself.

"You can't have two men, Piper! You've been cheating! That's adultery!"

She grabbed her coat and put her hand on the door handle. "If I can only have one of you then I choose him!" She opened the door and slipped out, slamming it closed behind her.

Great.

It was raining.

Eyes blurred with tears, she grabbed her keys from her pocket and ran to her car. When she was safely away from her home, she took out her cell phone and called Leo.

"He knows, Leo," was the first thing she said when he answered.

"Huh?"

"Dan. He—Earlier today, at P3, Amanda saw us together and she _told Dan_!"

"What?"

"We just had a fight," Piper said as she parked her car on the side of the road,tears starting to fall now. She sobbed quietly. "Dan said Ally is with Prue, so I want to leave her there overnight, okay?" she managed to say as she ran through the rain up the sidewalk to a house.

"Where are you?"

"At your front door."

* * *

**Okay, probably not the best ending, but it's kinda a cliffy, right? Right?**

**Again, I'm really sorry I forgot about this chapter! I'm all messed up and disoriented right now, planning a party, doing SPRING BREAK HOMEWORK! OMG! Also, I'm trying to get a new computer, so I've got to put all my files on disk, so I might lost a thing or two (which is absolutely terrifyingto me).**

**Review! (since you already read)**


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